


even superheroes read comic books

by mikkal



Series: junk in my trunk (and my documents folder) [3]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Incomplete, Technically a comic book store
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-05-27
Packaged: 2018-11-05 11:15:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11012316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikkal/pseuds/mikkal
Summary: What better way to learn about superheroes that seem like they came straight out of a comic than reading comic books about superheroes?Well, Iris learns there's nothing better than actually knowing superheroes and learning that some of them write those comics.Yeah that's right.a permanently incomplete comic book store AU





	even superheroes read comic books

[Volume One: The Impossible]

  
[Chapter One: In a Flash]

* * *

 

 **PotatoJonestheIII** @onceuponablur

@ **PictureComics** Are you going to make a comic based off the flash?! # _pleasesayyes_ # _TeamFlash_

08:15 AM – 12 September 2016 – via. Tweetdeck

 

* * *

 

 **Picture Comics Official ✓** @PictureComics

@ **onceuponablur** It’s hard to sit down  & have copyright/TM talks with the # _FastestManAlive_. But we won’t say it’s out the realm. # _TeamFlash_

10:46 AM – 13 September 2016 – via. Tweetdeck

* * *

  
  
**VF(3) ✓** @vfx3

  
@ **onceuponablur** @ **PictureComics** We got dibs. # _doittherightway_ # _TeamFlash_

06:01 PM – 14 September 2016 – via. Tweetdeck

* * *

  
**September**

The building front is a little worn, a little torn, but ultimately loved. It has a real red brick exterior and two large windows on either side of the door. Dark blue curtains and the top of two love seats frame the shelves inside the shop, and there are two metal tables outside with chairs and an umbrella each.

It almost looks like a cozy café.  
  
Except not.

**MARIGOLD COMIC SHOP**

{ _OPEN for BUSINESS_ }

Iris shifts her bag so it’s not pressing a nasty line into her shoulder anymore and straightens her spine. There’s already about ten people in the shop, on the first floor, a couple milling around, but the rest are scattered in various positions either on their computers or chatting with a stack of graphic novels between them.

She urges herself to join them, get out of the Autumn heat, but she can’t help but hesitate.  
  
In the two years Marigold Comics has been open it jumped from a no-name, easily forgettable, one of many new shops to _the_ place to get anything comic related—whether it’s single issues comics, graphic novels, magazines, a few collectibles here and there, anything really. From the big name Essential Comics to the lesser known, but no less quality, Green Kat Produckshuns.

Iris takes a deep breath, quelling the nervousness bubbling in her chest, and pushes open the door, wincing at the _ding_! the bell above the door makes. Only a few people glance her way, only to look away just as quickly. She sighs in relief.

See, she’s not a comic book person. Never was. She picked up a comic book when she was a kid, took one look at the artwork and the cheesy dialogue, and promptly put it back down, never to be picked up again. Iris can definitely appreciate what superheroes have done from pop culture and history, but she hasn’t had the desire to learn more…. until now.

Now, three years after the STAR Labs particle accelerator exploded and suddenly Central City was Grand Central for superhero activity. And when there’s superheroes, there’s supervillains. (Or is it the other way around).

Now, almost two years of starting her blog _Saved by the Flash_ , the Central City Picture News hired her on fully to be their go-to spokesperson on anything superhero related.

The only, problem? Yeah, she doesn’t really know much about the tropes and clichés of superheroism. _Great_.

Hence her walking into Marigold now.

The shop is just as cozy on the inside as it looks from the outside.

Shelves of graphic novels line the wall on her left, displays with comics line the right. In the back corner there’s a café with pastries, a drink cooler, and an espresso machine behind a counter, in the other there’s shelves of collectibles. There’s a second flood too, a balcony with shelves of regular novels and a television playing something quietly. She sees even more chairs and tables, a few more people too.

It’s quiet and comfortable and why hasn’t she come here sooner?

Just for the atmosphere alone.

These are prime conditions for working. This may be her new spot for late night writing. She checks the hours posted on the front door. Oh, yeah, definitely a new go-to place.

She by-passes the counter near the comics where no one is and heads straight towards the café. The perfect way to test this place is to see how well they do their drinks. There’s a pretty white girl behind the counter, dressed in a dark purple that just makes her seem pale. It’s a nice off-set to her dark brown hair, makes it look darker than it probably is. She’s leaning against the counter, smushing her cheek, as she scrolls through her tablet.

One second she’s not paying attention to the Iris and the next she smiling bright at her, hitting the lock button on her tablet. “Hi! Welcome to Marigold. What can I getcha today?”

“A 20 oz. iced raspberry mocha, please.”

Her name tag says ‘Bette’ and there’s a hand-drawn smiley face next to it. Iris slides her card in the red ShopKeep on the counter and signs with her finger. Next thing she knows Bette’s turned her back to her and is fiddling with the espresso machine. Iris knows her way around a café, she spent too much time working and studying at Jitters not to know how to make a decent mocha, but it’s nice to sit back and have someone else make her drink.

She takes another glance around the shop, looking for anything she missed, the little things. Oh, there’s a small rainbow flag hanging on the door frame, she grins at that, feeling warm. A cat statue sits on top of a bookcase closest to the windows, in a patch of sun. When she stares at it long enough, admiring the detail, she realizes, wait, nope, that it is breathing and _definitely not a statue_. And posters line the free space on the walls, comic covers, a few celebrities—one that looks like Bruce Wayne standing in front of the store shop, shaking hands with a shorter and definitely more attractive man.

Iris squints, tilting her head. Okay, nope, he doesn’t _look like_ Bruce Wayne, that _is_ Bruce Wayne. Holy crap.

“One Iced Raspberry Mocha for the pretty lady in red.” Bette sets the drink down in front of her, a straw balanced on the lid.

She jumps, startled from her observations. “Thank you.” She taps out her straw and takes a big sip, humming in delight at the perfect mix of espresso, milk, chocolate, and raspberry. It’s missing that distinctive overly-sweet syrupy taste that chain coffee shops use and she realizes there’s no chocolate syrup or other flavors behind the counter. “What do you guys use? This is amazing.”

“We pick up homemade syrup from Garrick’s Diner. We’ve got a sweet deal with them.” Bette giggles at her own pun and Iris can’t help but smile. “And we melt out our own chocolate and caramel. It’s a hard ratio to make, but we do it. It’s fun.”  
  
“Well, it’s amazing,” she assures her. Bette beams in response.

“Anything else I can help you with today? I’m also good for comic book knowledge. We have a used bookstore on the second floor along with clearance comics and graphic novels.”

Iris grips her bag strap a little tighter, her mocha growing sweaty in her hand (or maybe that’s just condensation?). “I’m new to comic books in general,” she admits. “I have no idea where to start.”

Bette’s eyes light up. “Oh, I’d be more than happy to help you with that.” She pulls out a sign that indicates she’s leaving the counter. “How much do you know?”  
  
She loses a little of the tension in her shoulders as soon as she realizes she’s not going to be mocked for not knowing much or even kicked out. (Marigold is _not_ the closest to her home or work place. She’s had some…unfortunate confrontations in certain other stores.)  
  
“The last comic I read was when I was eleven and it was about American Crusader and Machinehead.”  
  
Bette makes a noise of recognition. “Ah, EC Comics. _The_ most popular publisher right now and for the last forty years. 48% of our sales alone are because of them. Do you remember what the plot was?”  
  
She shrugs. Bette only laughs softly. It’s a nice laugh, doesn’t feel patronizing at all—which Iris is very grateful for.

“That’s perfect, to be honest,” Bette tells her with a mischievous smile. “That means I can influence your tastes by directing you to the comics I like.”

“I only ask that the artwork is good,” she says. “I’m picky.”

That seems to make her even happier. “A girl after my own heart. We’re going to start with Picture. They don’t really do superheroes, but they have a wide range of artists and storylines and their artwork is 8 out of 10 times fantastic.” She leads Iris over to a bay of shelves with a Picture Comics sign over it. “There’s this one in particular that…” She huffs, pouting a little. “Aaaannd, it’s gone.”

There’s a twinge of disappointment in her chest. “Is there another comic you like?”

Bette thinks for a moment, pressing her knuckles to the bottom of her chin, then snaps her fingers. “No! I know exactly where it is. Follow me.”

She follows Bette up the stairs to the second floor. The television’s playing the latest episode of _Wonderlost_ and there’s only a handful of people up here. One of them is laid out on the couch, one arm thrown over his face, the other dangling off the edge, his fingers brushing a graphic novel on the floor.

It’s got a white cover and a feather that’s on fire in the middle. _The Fiendish + The Supernal._ The guy who took the graphic novel from its rightful place is kind of cute, long black hair, round face, a _Star Trek_ tee on. There’s a tattoo on the wrist thrown over his face, but it’s angled in a weird way so she can’t tell what it is. And - _oh shit_ \- he’s the guy shaking hands with Bruce Wayne in that picture.

“Cisco,” Bette says, as if that explains everything.

Iris raises an eyebrow. “What’s a Cisco?”

Bette laughs. “This guy is. He owns the shop. Bought about two years ago.” She picks up the _The Fiendish + The Supernal_. “He moonlights here while he consults for Mercury Labs with another boss.”

“That explains the…” She taps under her eyes. Iris knows she has light shadows there herself, mostly covered up by foundation, but the ones Cisco has are pretty impressive, even to her. Bette’s smile twitches to a frown of concern for a brief moment, eyes flickering down to her boss before going back to Iris, smiling. “What’s the premise of _The Fiendish + The Supernal_?”

“Not superheroes.” She launches into an explanation of the premise even as she leads Iris back downstairs. When they make it to the bottom step she holds out the white graphic novel to Iris and she takes it, clutching it to her chest with one hand. “The artist and writers is the same guys who did _Young Justifiers_ for EC. They’re clean lined and diverse. Not everyone is like that, though.”

“So I guess _Young Justifiers_ is next on the list?” Iris asks, her head swimming. “That’s superheroes?”

Bette claps her hands together excitedly. “Yes! So, you want EC and Green Cat for standard superheroes. Picture, Prometheus, Indigo, and Kapow!, those are usually considered indy, for independents, they will give you your ‘out there’ comics. Sometimes they have non-traditional heroes. And that’s not counting the different ‘universes’ for the others.”

“That’s…That’s a lot of information,” Iris says faintly

She earns a consoling pat on the shoulder. “It’s okay. You’re a first timer, you’ll get use to is. I promise. I didn’t read comics before I worked here, most of my information came from bouncing around wiki articles.” Bette stacks up a few comics from the Kapow! and EC shelves, including _Young Justifiers_.  
  
All in all, it’s about 13 graphic novels in total.  
  
And a whole lot of information that she can barely keep straight.  
  
“You are more than welcomed to take a seat and browse through those, pick which ones you’d like. If you want to take a look at them at home then, just to let you know, we have a two week return policy.” Bette tells her. She glances back when the bell at the café is rung, a pretty, dark auburn haired white woman stands there, rolling her eyes, while a taller, tanner man waves with a smirk. “I’m sorry.”

Iris shoos her. “Go ahead, thank you so much.”

Bette beams at her again. “Happy to help! Come back to the café when you want to check out.” She springs away to the café where the couple is waiting.

Iris stands in place for a long moment, glancing around. One of the love seats near the front door is completely empty, the one closest to the cat still sitting on top of the bookcase. There’s a thin coffee table in front of it and an outlet ready to be used.

Really, this place is almost perfectly set up for college kids looking to study and over-worked Millennials looking for a quiet place to actually get work down.

She might be a tiny bit in love.

(read: a lot)

* * *

 

Barry sits down with a frustrated sigh, his chair rolling with his momentum. He rolls up his pant leg carefully and pokes mournfully at the disturbing colors his knee has decided to turn into today. Still purple and blue, only the slightest hint of yellow. It’s like it’s barely healed at all. The open rawness of burnt skin marring his shin just adds a morbid splash of color.

 _Knock. Knock_ jerks him up. He hastily tries to roll down his pants, jarring the twist in his knee. White hot pain locks his hunched over position, him clinging to the rough fabric of his jeans, breathing short, sharp bursts. Hands grab at his shoulders, urging him to relax.

He glances up only to see Eddie’s open, concerned expression, Chinese takeaway sitting haphazardly on his desk just over his shoulder.

“You okay?” Eddie asks, his tone soft.

Barry bites the inside of his cheek before nodding. “Yeah, yeah. I’m good.” He jerks his chin to the takeaway. “How’d you know?”

At that Eddie sits back, frowning, his hand going from his shoulder to his non-injured knee, the other resting on the floor. “You never came home last night. I left you food, but it was still in the fridge when I woke up.”

Barry rubs the back of neck, his face warming up. “Sorry,” he says quietly. “I stopped by Mercury to see Caitlin after the fight and by the time she was done with me I had to be at work.” Damn overnights. Though, that would explain why he looks like he just got into a fight, no food equals no healing.

Eddie presses his fingertips against his jaw, urging him to look up with soft pressure. He does, eyelashes fluttering in the way he knows drives Eddie crazy sometimes. Eddie rolls his eyes fondly, pressing a soft kiss to his chapped lips. He licks them with the tip of his tongue when Eddie pulls away, wetting them in a half-hearted job.

“You okay?” Eddie repeats.

Barry nods, leaning into the touch still on his jaw. “Yeah.”

* * *

 

**Is it Not Strange?**

_Posted: 5:45 am, 21 September, 2016, by Sister Rust_

Is it not strange that after three years and four superheroes, we still suffer an amazingly terrible number of metahuman criminals? Despite the achievements of Mercury Labs and the advancement in containment in Iron Height’s Metahuman Wing metahumans still escape and induce havoc on the streets on our fair cities. Even though the Particle Accelerator malfunctioned three years ago and the man behind it, the Harrison Wells, is dead, new metahumans have popped up more than ever.

Is is not strange that no one has investigated these issues?

Or have they? And they just refuse to tell the public? Do we not have a right to know what is going on in our lives? Any one of us could become a metahuman, but we’d never know the signs. Instead of being prepared for it, we will be surprised and just add to the chaos. We are not bad people. But if we are not informed then we can make bad decisions that could influence whether we receive help or whether we are locked away in the paper-thin Metahuman Wing.

I do not blame our resident superheroes for this, and neither should you. They are not the cause. We all know they came into the picture long after the first metahuman criminal appeared and considering the delay in a lot powers, there’s a possibility they didn’t come into their powers until that moment. So we must remember: _they are not the cause._

But still, is it not strange?

_Hits: 92,056_

_Comments: 207_

* * *

Cisco is counting the cash box behind the café counter the next time Iris comes to Marigold. His hair is pulled back in a low pony-tail, the bags under his eyes look lighter, and this time he’s wearing a _Star Wars_ t-shirt.

“I thought you had to be a fan of either/or, not both,” she says.

He jumps, crumpling some of the bills in his hand. “Excuse me?”

“Your shirt.” She points at the _Star Wars VII_ shirt. “Last time I saw you, you were wearing a _Star Trek_ shirt.”

* * *

**VF(3) ✓** @vfx3

Proud to announce the 1st printing of Flash vol. 1 The Impossible ft. your fav heroes Vibe Frost Firestorm & ofc Flash just to start! # _TeamFlash_

10:00 AM – 11 December 2016 – via. Tweetdeck

* * *

  **Laura Wilson** @fandemonium

@ **vfx3** at least now we kno where you got your name. How long have you be planning this?!

04:23 PM – 11 December 2016 – via. Tweetdeck

* * *

**VF(3) ✓** @vfx3

@ **fandemonium** It’s a /secret/ ;P

05:02 PM – 11 December 2016 – via. Tweetdeck

* * *

 

 **VF(3) ✓** @vfx3

@ **fandemonium** (Pst, since day one. The Flash saved one of us from the train Cpt Cold derailed and we developed from there. Online first ofc)  
# _TeamFlash_

05:02 PM – 11 December 2016 – via. Tweetdeck

* * *

[My name is Sebastian, Bas to my friends, and I am the _fastest man alive._ To the outside world I am an ordinary journalist for the CC Newsletter, but, secretly, with the help of my friends, I fight crime and find other metahumans like us. It’s not easy, but I know that together we can make the impossible happen. I am the _Flash_!]

* * *

**Thea Queen** @Theaaaaq

@ **MzPrettyBird** @ **RoyBHarper** _comicbookofficial.news/central-city-comics…_ SQUEEEE! Finally! Am I right?!

12:52 AM – 12 December 2016 – via. Tweetdeck

* * *

**Thea Queen** @Theaaaaq

Congrats to my buds out there! @ **vfx3**

12:53 AM – 12 December 2016 – via. Tweetdeck

* * *

“ _Why does that tree look like a man?”_

[It was in that moment Bas knew he was screwed.]

* * *

“Why does that tree look like a man?” Kendra asks, tugging off her helmet.

It's in that moment that Barry knows he's screwed.  


**Author's Note:**

> VF(3) : Vibe, Frost, Firestorm, Flash.
> 
> Sister Rust : Iris
> 
> Eddie knows Barry is the Flash, they're already in a relationship.
> 
> Honestly, I didn't really have a plot for this one. I just had so much fun coming up with my version of real life comic companies and all their twitter handles. I found some official/permanent OC twitters because of this fic.
> 
> but yeah, never got very far and it's been stagnant for a long, long time. So, posted in my junk series it is!


End file.
